


Sweet and Sour

by ultimateparadox



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Conversations, First Meetings, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-08 21:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15938444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultimateparadox/pseuds/ultimateparadox
Summary: Before a certain trainer moves to Alola, Gladion has two conversations with strangers in a malasada shop.





	Sweet and Sour

Gladion's supposed to meet someone in an hour. They had picked the venue, Hau'oli City's malasada shop. Perhaps it was childish to be so impatient and arrive so early, but hoofing it around Alola, trying to keep discreet, is trying his patience. Keeping Null inside a pokeball is trying his patience in an even worse way, but to release such a unique Pokemon to the public will only draw attention to them. He tells himself he'll splurge on a big malasada when his meeting's over to make it up to Null even as he orders a small, sweet bread for himself. 

Malasadas are Gladion's guilty pleasure. Under Mother's thumb he'd never been allowed to indulge. Unhealthy, she would say to him. Messy. Gladion would like to remind her that napkins exist and also that he just does not care. A treat every now and then isn't going to collapse his body and Null is hardier than anything. As sugar dusts his fingers, he takes it as a victory. 

The shop's door opens and Gladion peers up. His contact is supposed to be a teenage girl, but this customer's just a kid. His age, probably, with dark hair and eyes. Beaming a brilliant grin to the clerk ladies behind the counter, he greets them at such volume that Mother would be beside herself. The women laugh kindly, though, and address him by name—Hau, simple and cultural—so he must be a regular. 

Since he doesn't matter, Gladion stops paying attention. It's a mistake. There's an exclamation far too close to his ear, far too loud, and he jumps. His plate rattles. “Wow! Is that a pokeball? You have a Pokemon already?”

Alarmed, Gladion reaches down to his hip to feel his pouch. It's wide open. It's a rookie mistake and something he'll have to correct sooner rather than later. He quickly flips it closed to shield his partner. “That's none of your business.”

It's Hau the regular, staring at him with sparkling eyes. He's balancing a plate of malasadas in one hand, the other gripping the edge of Gladion's table as he leans too far into his personal bubble. “Aw, now don't be like that,” the kid says, scooting into the seat opposite Gladion. “Can you tell me about your Pokemon? My grandpa says I can't have one yet, even though there are definitely kids way younger than me who already carry them around! It's soooo not fair!”

The audacious behavior of this Hau kid sets him off balance in a way that feels kind of like free falling. It's weird. It's kind of scary. It's almost exciting. 

Still, if he's going to protect his family, that undoubtedly means he has to protect Null, too. “No.”

Hau blows a raspberry, right there in the restaurant. Mother would hate this boy. That thought immediately makes Gladion thinks that he could learn to love this human disaster. To Gladion's surprise, though, he doesn't ask again. The blinding smile is turned on him as wide, curious eyes scan him. “No Z-ring, huh? No island challenge?”

“Nope.” While he's sure the captains and kahunas are all very competent trainers and the experience would do him good, he's gone over a year and a half hiding from the eyes of the Aether Foundation and becoming a recognized challenger puts him in the direct spotlight—he's confident enough that he and Null would triumph, after all. Thus, he only battles far from the public eye and Null has cut their teeth in battle against passerby. Some of them are just travelers. Others are trying their own island challenges. Gladion just needs them to make them stronger.

“Ah, a shame!” Hau exclaims. He's begun digging into his food like Gladion had invited him to. “My grandpa is the kahuna here on Melemele! He uses fighting types. When I was really little he kept telling me that if I didn't brush my teeth he'd have Crabrawler pinch my butt!”

Gladion grimaces. Null is powerful, but still a normal-type Pokemon. A good trainer with a fighting type could probably put him in check, and that's a concerning thought. 

“What's that face for?”

Right, he as uninvited company. “It's nothing. I just have...an Eevee. So I would lose if I fought your grandpa.”

Hau's eyes positively light up. “An Eevee? Let them out, please! I love that Pokemon, they're so cute! I want one!”

He'd chosen on a whim. It was a normal-type Pokemon that would certainly get rocked by a fighting-type Pokemon. Eevee is a small breed, though, and would surely be welcome inside the Pokemon-friendly establishment. Yet, he looks at nosy, unrepentant Hau, and already decides on his new cover story. “Can't. New capture, poorly trained. My sister freaked out when she found the state of her room when I lost track of him. Don't even think he was sorry. We're here until I'm sure she's calmed down.”

Hau laughs, absolutely delighted with Gladion's fictitious and rambunctious Eevee. He's nearly one hundred percent certain that Lillie would be more concerned about a Pokemon getting roughed up in the mess than whether or not the same Pokemon had trashed her room. She's a sweet girl. Soft. Weak.

He'll protect her. Lillie, Null, Mother. 

“If you head down Route 2,” Hau says after he calms, a bite of malasada tucked into his cheek. Gross. Gladion wants to do that to Mother. “There are Pokemon habitats Grandpa told me about, lots of types that give him a tough time when trainers come to him for the Grand Trial. Between you and me, though, you don't need to go that far. Even a Pikipek can win with a little love, you know?”

Pikipek. Woodpecker Pokemon. Evolves up to the cannon Pokemon, Toucannon. Normal and flying. A mean stink-eye. “Hmm,” he hums noncommittally. It's probably not a terrible idea to start building a team of his own, especially since he has such an obvious exploit in his defenses. Toucannon might not be something he wants, though. Type: Null is weaponized enough by his family's foundation, he's not sure if he wants a Pokemon that is distinctly referred to in encyclopedias as a weapon. Another flying-type Pokemon would serve him well, though. 

Suddenly, Hau stands from his seat. Gladion can't tell if he's relieved or not. The boy's plate is empty of everything but crumbs and it's completely baffling. Gladion only ordered one and there's still half on his plate! He waves at Gladion and says, “It was nice to meet you! Maybe we'll meet again when you evolve your little friend, I'd love to see!”

Hau returns his plate and bids farewell to the ladies in the front. He leaves and to Gladion's ears the shop is uncomfortably quiet, but no one else seems to mind. He scowls. Stupid.

He finishes his malasada. It's still sweet, still good. He suddenly misses dinners with his sister as she chatters about whatever she saw in the sanctuary that day. He realizes he's been lonely. Stupider. 

He loses track of time, lost in memories that make him feel simultaneously terrible and determined. The shop's door opens again and this time it's not Hau. It's a teenage girl with bright, bold dyes in her hair, vicious pinks and and sunny golds. Her face has thick make up on it, but it looks less clownish and more like the warning patterns on Arbok hoods. Dark clothes finish the intimidating picture the girl makes. She turns sharp eyes on him and he knows this is his contact. 

She doesn't buy anything as she strolls to his table; the ladies at the counter look annoyed and nervous respectively. She plants a foot on the seat Hau had used, leaning forward to look Gladion in the face. She doesn't look impressed. It's fine; he won't be bullied down like this. He meets her gaze head on. 

The quiet stretches a moment longer before she asks, “You're the trainer that sent my grunts back with their tails between their legs?”

Gladion raises an eyebrow. “You're their boss that wanted to offer me something? If it's a threat you'll find I'll return it twicefold.” This conversation is different than the one he'd engaged in less than an hour ago. This girl isn't excitable like Hau, and her presence feels noxious in his space.

She looks less impressed than before. Doesn't like lip from him. He doesn't care. “Some brat kid that doesn't do the island challenge but has power behind him. I don't think much of you, but my boss is interested.”

So she's a middleman. Gladion wants to laugh at her. She tries too hard.

“My name is Plumeria. I'm here to offer you a position with Team Skull on behalf of,” here she takes a big breath and actually turns her gaze from him. “Ya boy, Guzma.” Ah, she's embarrassed. He would be, too.

He's heard of Team Skull. Bunch of people that ditched their island challenges, either unmotivated or just straight washed out. Not promising. Although, he's heard Guzma's something fierce. Something about using underestimated types and making trainers weep at the sudden turnabout. He's curious. A strong trainer with a team to shield him from Mother. Eyes all over Alola. Plenty of trainers to throw himself at to get stronger.

“If,” Plumeria suddenly interjects. “you can beat me, first.”

Gladion pushes his plate away and stands to leave. He can't wait to punish her. “I'll consider your offer. Also, as soon as I'm done beating you, I need you to buy me a big malasada.”

She stares at him. Her lips curl up into a poisonous smile. “Whatever you say, kid.”

**Author's Note:**

> I will never get over the fact that nobody calls these games Pokemon Smoon.


End file.
